Hard-working Sophomore Leading Chaminade In Victories

For all her skills on the tennis court, Chaminade’s Kimberly Takara always has counted on her work ethic to pull her through.

“I’ve always had to work really hard,” said Takara, a former Mililani High stand-out. “When I was younger and would take lessons with others, it seemed to come a little bit more naturally to them.

“In high school, my confidence picked up and I became more comfortable,” she added. “I think that was the coaching and playing a match every week. I’m still at a point where I need to work hard to keep up with the other college players.”

Takara was part of three Oahu Interscholastic Association team titles during her high school years at Mililani. Now a sophomore at Chaminade, she was the Silverswords’ leader in wins last season with six. Takara recently took some time away from the classroom and the tennis court to visit with MidWeek‘s Central Oahu Islander.

CO: What is your earliest sports-related memory?

KT: I remember taking a lot of lessons. I was 5 when I started off with coach (May Ann) Beamer at Mililani. They were really fun, and I learned a lot from them. I live in a tennis family, and we all started early.

CO: Who has had the biggest impact on you in your life?

KT: My parents (Sidney and Dawn Takara) because of how they brought up my family and me. They always taught me to work hard in everything – whether school or tennis.

CO: What area of your game did you work on the most during the off-season?

KT: I guess I worked

more on my fitness and the cardio(vascular) part of it. I was going to the gym a lot.

CO: What movie could you watch over and over again?

KT: One of my favorite movies is Taken. It’s an action film.

CO: What item couldn’t you live without?

KT: My tennis racquet. Tennis is such a big part of my life.

CO:: What is your least favorite household chore?

KT: Cleaning the bathrooms – it’s time consuming.

CO: What website do you go to the most?

KT: Probably Facebook to see how everyone else is doing.

CO: What is your favorite travel destination in the Pac West Conference?

KT: Arizona. Hanging out with your teammates is a great bonding experience.

CO: When you have free time, how do you spend it? What are your hobbies?

KT: I like spending time with family. We go fishing and hiking – fun things like that.

CO: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

KT: I’m majoring in criminal justice. I’ve been looking into becoming a victim’s advocate, so I’m hoping to begin a career in that.

CO: You are stuck on the island of Kahoolawe and can have an endless supply of one food and one food only. What would it be?

KT: I love candy, but I don’t know if I can live off of that. I also like pizza.

CO: Given the chance, what celebrity would you most like to meet?

KT: (Professional tennis player) Roger Federer. I have an autographed photo of him on my desk. My sister got it for me.